


Lovely book, lousy cover

by Edestyles (idamariiee)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, idk.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 11:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11058300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idamariiee/pseuds/Edestyles
Summary: Anne didn´t know her sons as well as she thought.





	Lovely book, lousy cover

Lovely cover, lousy book. 

Anne was a single mother of two teenage boys. Being a single mother was never easy, but having two teenage sons could be extra exhausting for a mother. She worked double shifts at the hospital just so she could afford paying the bills. It´s no secret that teenagers use a lot of electricity, need new sports gear, money for hobbies, money for books, money for food. Oh god, did her boys eat a lot of food, especially her eldest one, Louis. 

Louis had just turned 18 and was the school´s best football player. He was kind, loved all sorts of sports like surfing, scuba diving, soccer. Anything where he could get his adrenalin flowing. He had good grades, hung out with his friends after school all the time and to Anne´s frustration never was any good at answering her phone calls, especially when he was around his girlfriend Eleanor. 

Her youngest son, Brian, was 17. The boys were only one year apart. Brian was not sporty. He hated sports, hated anything where there was a slight chance he was going to hurt himself. On the other hand he loved drama, Anne paid for extra drama lessons for him, and once every third month her and Louis would go see Brian in a play. He was a fantastic actor, though a little flamboyant in the way he acted. Anne was sure he was going to come out to her soon, but she wasn't pushing it. She knew from the pamphlets she had secretly been reading at the hospital that it was best to wait until her son was ready to come out, but that she could try subtly hinting at the fact that she would be supportive whenever she had the opportunity.

Louis was sitting slumped down in his chair across from her, looking rumpled and tired. She suspected he had been up all night talking to Eleanor again. She had caught him telling her on the phone he loved her when she was on her way to bed after a night shift just a few hours earlier, which was around 4am. She really should confiscate their phones at night, but that would cause a riot in the house, something she simply just didn't have the patience or energy for. 

Brian on the other hand was talking animatedly about a new play he was in, gesturing wildly with his hands and glowing with pride. He was playing Peter Pan this time, and he apparently really loved the costume the people were working on for him. 

“And Professor Lindberg said if I did a good enough job he would consider letting me play the lead in the last school play! Mom, it´s the biggest one, it´s a huge deal, you know?”

Anne nodded. “I am aware,” she smiled. “What about you Brian, anything new going on with you?” 

Louis looked up, eyes bleary, she really should talk to him about staying up so late. “No, not really. Got a big game coming up next week. Will you come?” he asked. 

“Yes, of course we are.” Brian said, smiling brightly at Louis. Anne nodded, she had already put the date down in her notebook and changed shifts at work to come, as she always did when her sons had something coming up. She needed to be supportive. 

“So, boys” she began, “Have you both gotten yourself dates for the prom coming up?” the prom was in just one week, and neither of her boys had come to her yet asking for money for the tuxes. She had been saving up for it so they wouldn't have to be embarrassed about not being able to afford taking their dates to prom in a limo like everyone else. Or that their tuxes wouldn't be fitted or be good quality. She knew proms were a big deal, especially in High School. 

Brian started grinning, “Yes! You should see my date mom, we´re going to be the best couple at prom. It´s going to be great. My date is on the prom committee, so I know the prom is going to look amazing. We have both decided that blue will be out color. Will you take me shopping soon?” And there it was. Anne nodded and smiled. 

“Of course. What about you Louis, you asked your date yet too?” 

Louis nodded, not really paying attention to the conversation anymore, busy looking intently on his phone screen. She wondered if maybe there was something else going on, maybe he had some trouble in some of his classes. She would ask him later. 

“Is it okay if Eleanor comes over for dinner after school?” he asked, finally looking up and paying some attention to her. She wondered why she hadn't put a ban on phones from the breakfast table, as she had at the dinner table. Maybe she should. 

“Yes, that´s alright. Tell her we´re having pizza, I don't really feel like cooking today.” She stood up and started collecting the cereal boxes and putting them back in the cupboards. “Is it okay if I take you shopping for tuxedos tomorrow?” she asked and turned to the boys, who nodded as confirmation.

Brian got up and started helping her clear the table while Louis leaned back in his chair to make it easier to take his plate. 

The week passed quickly, Eleanor came over almost every day to hang out with Louis and they spent most of their time holed up in his room doing their homework or watching movies. Brian spent most of his time either being home doing homework or spending it at the theatre with the other theatre kids. She had taken both Brian and Louis to the tuxedo shop, getting them both new tuxedos. Louis had gone for the traditional black tuxedo with a forest green tie, while Brian had chosen a full white tuxedo with a blue tie. 

The boys had both promised her that they would bring their dates over for photos before the prom. As a mom, this was extremely important. She had already gotten her camera ready, made sure she had enough memory space on it and she had cleaned the whole house so it would look acceptable to show off when their dates arrived. 

Brian had been very secretive about his date, not telling her who his date was and she was beginning to worry he didn't fully trust her yet with his secret. That maybe she had been too subtle in her hints that being gay is okay. 

The boys had told her they would go to their dates houses first, and then later bring their dates over to their house. She had placed herself on the staircase in front of the door, patiently, or not so, waiting for them to come. It took them a while, maybe 20 minutes or so, before the door opened and Brian entered, a tall boy following him through the door. She had to suppress her grin that she felt was threatening to come out. Eleanor came next with Louis sheepishly trailing in after her. Eleanor was in a beautiful blue gown, and Anne couldn't help but tell her how beautiful she looked. 

She then went over to the tall boy, who was busy looking both scared and happy. She wondered how he managed that. When she stood in front of him she realised he was much taller than her, had curls and even a small dimple in his right cheek. She told herself she needed to congratulate Brian later. She held out her hand, waiting for the boy to shake it. He grasped her hand, smiling uncertainly down at her. She let her grin slip through. “I´m Anne, it´s nice to meet you.” 

The boy finally seemed to relax and let a big smile come out. “I´m Harry” he said, voice extremely dark. She wondered if he was the same age as Louis. 

She smiled at him one last time before clapping her hands and saying, “Ok! Time for photos. Pair up.” 

She went to the table and got her camera. She turned it on and turned around. She froze. Brian wasn't standing with Harry. Brian was standing with Eleanor, his hands on her hips. Louis, was with Harry. Harry was standing behind Louis, hands clasped around his waist like Brian was doing with Eleanor. 

She had been wrong. Louis had never explicitly told her Eleanor was his girlfriend, she had just guessed because they spent so much time together. Louis was looking at her hopefully, seemingly scared she would say something or protest. 

She composed herself and smiled brightly. So maybe she had been wrong, maybe she had expected Brian to be the gay one because he was the perfect stereotype of a gay male, the same way she had expected Louis to be straight because of the way he was. Maybe now she could learn to look past stereotypes. 

“Let´s start with Louis and Harry. You look great together” she smiled. She loved her sons no matter what, and would always support them.


End file.
